Fire Emblem Heroes Supports: Myrrh and Adult Tiki
by Infinite Number
Summary: Four chapters detailing the growing bond between Myrrh and A!Tiki as the younger dragon seeks the elder for advice.
1. Rank C

Tiki stretched on her way back from the battlefield. She'd just fought in a large scale battle, trying to defend and capture territories in a training exercise. She'd done the best she could, but such a fight made her entire body sore. She couldn't complain though, considering how much effort others had put in. No, she was content with just taking a stroll in the forest before dinner.

She found a clearing; a fresh one it seemed, since many fallen trees still littered the area. _Oh, that's right. I remember hearing Nah had some trouble when she first arrived here._

Tiki looked around. There was no one in sight. But...

"I know you're there, little one."

A moment's silence, then the sole exception to her loneliness poked her head out from behind a tree. "You...you knew I was here?"

"Since we left our little brigade," Tiki put on a smile and leaned on her knees. "But I know you've been trying to talk to me for a while now, haven't you Myrrh?"

The little dragon girl's face flushed and she stepped out of her cover with her head low. "I'm...sorry."

"Don't be!" Tiki sat on one of the logs and patted the space next to her. "I'm sure whatever it is is very important, so come tell me all about it."

"Oh...okay." Her cheeks still red, Myrrh traipsed over and took her seat, folding her wings so that they wouldn't hit the older dragon.

"You don't need to do that."

"Hmm?"

"You can relax around me," she explained. "Besides, I think your wings are quite beautiful."

"R - really?" Myrrh hid her face in her hands, flicking her twintails outward in the process. Tiki fought the urge to giggle.

"Yes. In fact, I've always been a bit curious about them, if I can be honest with you. I'm sure you've noticed that no other Manakete has wings like yours in human form." She remembered seeing her younger self in the middle of a summer celebration and added "At least, not all the time."

Myrrh nodded. "I'm different, aren't I?" She looked at the earth, a frown on her face.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of;" Tiki stroked her hair. "I think your wings are beautiful! You should be proud of them."

Myrrh flashed a little smile, then looked back down.

Tiki fought the urge to pinch her red cheeks. "So...what did you want to ask me?"

"Oh...right." The younger dragon blinked and looked up, but still refused to make eye contact. "I know this is very rude, but can I...can I ask how old you are? Please?"

It was Tiki's turn to pause. "What?"

"I'm so sorry!" Myrrh jumped up. "Ephraim told me you should never ask a lady her age, but I just...never mind!" She shook her head and took a step away, stretching her wings in preparation to soar -

"Myrrh, wait!" Tiki grabbed her arm. The little girl tensed, her wings flaring wide for a moment before she caught herself. Tiki took a calming breath. "I'm not offended at all, come sit back down." She sat and waited for the other to do the same. "I'm not offended," she said again. "Just surprised. I expected something much more serious than that. Why do you want to know?"

"Well..." Myrrh tapped her forefingers together. "I...I've seen a younger Tiki a few times and - and everyone I asked said you two were the same person, so...I just wanted to know how much time there was between you two. You know, because she looks even younger than me and you look..." she stole a glance at the other dragon and continued with a renewed blush "...a little older."

"A little?" Tiki fought another urge to laugh. "That Tiki is about two thousand years younger than me. Even for a Manakete, I'm sure you'll agree that that's more than just a _little_ older."

"Two thousand years..?" Myrrh looked down again. She seemed to be in deep thought.

Tiki gave her a minute, but the girl remained silent. "Are you okay, Myrrh?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes!" Myrrh stood up and curtseyed. "Thank you very much, Ms. Tiki. I - I'll be going now."

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Tiki stood up too. "Anything at all?"

"_Yes!_ I mean," she cleared her throat. "Yes, I'm very sure. Thank you!"

And with a short run and a mighty flap of her wings, Myrrh took off towards their quarters. Tiki sighed.

"What are you hiding, little one?"


	2. Rank B

Tiki had just had her dinner and was about to turn in for the night. She was always prone to dozing and meals only made her problem worse. People close to the Summoner had adopted the term "food coma" to describe the sensation and she had to admit it fit her situation perfectly. She stifled a yawn and turned the corner when -

"Oh!"

"Myrrh!"

The little dragon girl almost collided with her stomach and stumbled back. Tiki caught her arm. "Are you alright?"

"Yes..."

"Why are you coming back? Did you forget something in the mess hall?"

"No..." she looked away, so Tiki bent to her level.

"Is everything alright?"

Myrrh wrung her hands, still avoiding Tiki's eyes. "...is it okay if we talk again?"

"Of course. What do you want to ask me?"

"Um...can we do it somewhere else? Also...you surprised me. I...I'm not prepared anymore." She finished with a pout.

"Is that so?" Tiki got to her feet with a smile and took her hand. "Well, why don't we go back to your room and talk there? You can prepare yourself while we walk."

"I'm not a child..." mumbled Myrrh, though she tightened her grip all the same.

* * *

Myrrh's room was a three-minute walk away, which made Tiki wonder to herself how far she'd gone before turning back. She ushered the owner inside, sat her on the side of her bed, then sat beside her. "Are you ready?"

Myrrh thought for a moment before nodding.

"I'm all ears."

Myrrh nodded again. "Um..."

"Yes?"

"I know this is rude..."

"That's alright."

"Okay..." she took a deep breath. "So, I was talking to the younger Tiki and...and she talked a lot about someone called Mar-Mar. Actually, she talked about a lot of her friends, but him specifically." Tiki motioned for her to continue. "I'm sorry, but I was just wondering...you said you two were the same person, didn't you?"

"Yes," Tiki nodded.

"Right. What I was wondering was...those friends aren't around in your time anymore, are they?"

_Ah._

The older dragon thought for a moment, but settled on a simple shake of the head. "No, they're not."

"Hmm..." Myrrh looked at the floor for a few seconds. "Um..." she swallowed. "Do you... How do you... What do you do when..."

"You want to know how I got over their passing?"

"..." Still avoiding eye contact, Myrrh nodded.

Tiki chewed her lip. "I...I don't know," she said at last. "Back in my homeworld, even two thousand years later I kept imagining Mar-Mar's face and the sound of his voice wherever I turned. I'm grateful to the Order for letting me see him again, but...I don't know what to tell you. The day he passed is still fresh in my mind and I remember crying on and on until I fell asleep. I..." she drummed her fingers on the edge of the mattress. _I don't think I ever truly got over him,_ she realised but daren't put into words.

"I see." Myrrh was quiet for some time, but then she shoulders started trembling.

"Myrrh?"

"I'm sorry for making you remember all those things..." her voice was quiet. "I really am. I just...I have so many friends back home. Prince Ephraim, Saleh, Dara...and that's not even counting the people I've met on my travels! They're all so important to me, but I'm a dragon so, "she swallowed "so I'll...I'll..."

Tiki put her hand on the younger girl's head. "It's alright..."

"I don't want to see them all die!" she yelled. The sound set her tears free, letting them pour down her cheeks. "I don't _want_ to be a Great Dragon if it means seeing them all pass on without me!" Tiki pulled her into an embrace. "I - I - I just...I just..._I just want to be a normal person like everyone else!_"

"I know..." Tiki kept an arm over Myrrh's shoulders and ran her other hand through her hair. "I know exactly how you feel, little one."

Myrrh kept bawling, tears soaking into Tiki's top as her shoulder muffled the younger dragon's cries. Tiki rocked her gently as Myrrh returned the hug with gusto, wrapping her wings around her as well. Tiki kept swallowing to hold back her own tears and kept whispering into her ear.

"You're very kind, Myrrh. It's okay...it's okay..."

The embrace continued until the child's grip loosened and her voice quietened. Tiki kept stroking her hair as her small body relaxed. It was only after hearing Myrrh's continuous deep breaths that she realised the little girl had fallen asleep.

"What a thought to have at the end of the day," she muttered.

She lifted the child, pulled the quilt back and placed Myrrh on her front, tucking her wings close to her sides. She covered her and ran her hand through the little girl's hair again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

She tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind her, leaning her back against it with her head down and eyes closed. The day of King Marth's death played again behind her eyelids, then the death of Queen Mother Caeda, Bantu, Linde and countless others... To think the same would happen to another child in the future? She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob of her own.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you, little one." She looked up at the ceiling, tears trailing down her face despite her best efforts.


	3. Rank A

Tiki yawned despite the bright sun, her mouth stretching wide. Everyone she'd passed by that morning assumed she was simply tired due to her heavy sleeping habits. However, while she appreciated the lack of questioning, this sadly wasn't the case. Sadly, despite deliberating throughout the night she still hadn't found a proper answer to Myrrh's question.

But if Tiki herself - after all her years alive - had trouble with the concept of outliving her friends, how must that child feel?

Even if she didn't know what she would say to the younger dragon, Tiki still wanted to talk to her after the state she'd left her in. She wasn't in her room, nor in the mess hall. It was by chance that she bumped into Prince Ephraim in her searches, who told her he'd seen Myrrh flying into the woods.

"I only saw her from afar, but she looked quite upset about something. I don't know if she's in the mood to talk to anyone right now," he added.

"I see..."

Tiki thanked him with a small nod of the head and ran outside.

_Oh, Myrrh..._

* * *

She found Myrrh in the same clearing they'd spoken in the previous day. (Since the little girl could fly, it made sense that she'd be able to find the spot again, Tiki reasoned.) She was sitting on the same log as before, her head resting on her lap. Tiki tried to walk slowly but snapped a branch with her heel, causing Myrrh to jerk up.

"Easy! Easy..." Tiki held her arms out at the sight of Myrrh preparing to fly. The little girl paused for a moment before relaxing her wings, though she still stayed on her feet.

"Um...I'm sorry about yesterday," she mumbled.

"Don't be. It's a natural question all Manaketes ask in their lives," she tiptoed forward with her arms still outstretched as though soothing a wounded animal. "I wanted to apologise for not giving you a proper answer."

"It's okay..." Myrrh walked to one of the still standing trees and pressed her palm against it. She looked at its leaves for a while. "You know, back in my homeworld I live in a place called the Darkling Woods."

"Is that so?" Tiki straightened up and walked normally to stand beside her, looking at the trees around them. "What is it like?"

"I think most people would say it's horrible," began the younger girl. "It was cursed 800 years ago so that the trees are large and crooked and the only living creatures are monsters...but it's also my home."

"..." Tiki placed a palm on the tree too.

"I've lived there for as long as I can remember, and it's also where my father is."

"Your father?"

"Yes. His name is Morva. Well, technically he's my foster father. You see, my real parents died around the time the forest was cursed. We're the only dragons left in our world, so he's the only family I have left."

"So you and your father live there all alone?"

"Yes, because there's something we must protect there. But...I wouldn't say we're completely alone," Myrrh shook her head, the trace of a smile on her lips. "There's a small village to the southwest called Caer Pelyn and people visit us from there sometimes..." the smile faded. "But they treat us like...like _gods_. I know they mean well and they're very nice to Father and I, but I still feel lonely when I'm with them..."

Tiki ran her hand through Myrrh's hair. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry; I got distracted!" Myrrh blushed. "I just wanted to say that you don't have to answer my question, because I'll always have a home and family to go back to even after..." she swallowed "...you know."

"But would that be enough for you?"

Myrrh's hand fell from the tree and she said nothing.

"You know, I had a father figure too," continued Tiki. "His name was Bantu and we travelled together for a long time."

"Oh?" Tiki nudged the younger girl and guided her to where she'd been sitting. "Did you see a lot?"

"Hmm..." She sat Myrrh down and took her own place on the fallen trunk with a smile. "I can't say we did. We spent most of our time in the countryside."

"But that's still fun, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Tiki chuckled. "I still have fond memories of those days, despite the dark times." Something clicked in her head. "It's the same with Mar-Mar and all my friends too."

"...oh." Myrrh's face fell, but Tiki kept smiling.

"I miss them terribly. I always have and I always will, but that isn't the point." Myrrh looked confused, so she continued. "I still remember the moment I heard Mar-Mar - I'm sorry, Marth - died. I still remember the day Bantu died. I've outlived all of my friends and I miss every last one of them...but when I think about them, do you think _that_'s what they want me to remember?"

"No..." the little girl shook her head.

"That's right," Tiki nodded. "I told you yesterday that I still hear and see Mar-Mar sometimes and I couldn't describe how happy I was to see him in the flesh again. That's all still true, but at the same time..." she placed a hand over her heart as her lip trembled "even before coming here I still had all of my memories of him, Caeda and even the ones who aren't in Askr - like Ban-Ban - in here. I still cry for them sometimes, but they gave me so much joy that when I think back it can't possibly compare to the sadness I feel in their absence." She wiped a tear from her eye. "Does that make sense?"

"I...I think so. But it's still..." she swallowed and whimpered the last word "_scary_."

"I know it is," Tiki gave Myrrh's shoulders a quick hug. "It was for me too. Wondering if the day would come when I'd never hear Mar-Mar or Ban-Ban's voices again? That terrified me." She thought for a moment. "Why don't you look at it this way?" She sat up straight.

"Hmm?" Myrrh looked at her, confused.

"You'll live longer than your friends. It's sad, but it also gives you the chance to carry on their legacy for them. Not only will you be able to fulfil their wishes, you will also be able to tell their stories to future generations. Mar-Mar - _King Marth_ \- for example became a hero and inspiration to his people for millennia; even today he's considered the greatest hero who ever lived in my world."

"Really?"

"Yes. And I dedicate my life to helping those around me to ensure the lands he protected remain safe and its people happy. It's my way of honouring his memory...though I never truly realised that was what I was doing until right this moment." She ended with another chuckle.

Myrrh was silent for a while. "...I don't know if I like that," she said at last.

"Oh?"

"I know you're trying to be kind and I know it makes you happy, but..." Another pause. "I don't...want any of them to...d - die in the first place," she trailed off, looking at the earth.

"I see." It made sense. Myrrh seemed a bit older than she was when adventuring with Marth, but the winged Manakete was likely still too young to process such things.

"I know that's impossible and I'm just being unfair..."

"Not at all. It's okay to be angry at the world from time to time. I've been there myself." Tiki ruffled Myrrh's hair, smiling at the child's half-hearted _"I'm not a child!"_

Myrrh was silent for a while longer. "You're right, aren't you? And I know it's the right thing to do too..." she fidgeted with her hands. "Can I have some time to think about this, please?"

"Of course! Take as much time as you need. I'm not going anywhere." She patted Myrrh on the head and the little girl got to her feet.

"I'm very sorry you came all this way and I'm sorry you had to talk to me so much yesterday when I can't even make up my mind about something..." she spoke to the earth again as her sandals burrowed into it.

"Oh, child..." Tiki stood up and pulled Myrrh into a hug, prompting a sharp yelp from the younger dragon. "You're such a wonderful little girl," she stroked her hair once more. "You're so kind and even now you worry about your friends more than yourself! I admire you." She pulled back and sank to her knees to look her in the eyes. "You don't have to apologise for anything, understand?"

A pause, then with a red face Myrrh mumbled an "O...okay."

"Now as I said, take as much time as you need. I'll support you whatever you decide," Tiki smiled and kissed the child on the forehead. "Okay?"

Myrrh's cheeks had grown even redder after her lips made contact, but she managed a small nod nonetheless. Tiki patted her shoulders and stepped back, giving Myrrh enough space to take off. For the second time in as many days she watched the young Manakete soar back to the Order's keep.

Only this time Tiki had a smile on her face.


	4. Rank A Plus

**A/N:** The final chapter! As always, please leave a review letting me know what you think and how I can improve. Your words mean more to me than you know.

* * *

Tiki awoke with another mighty yawn and wide stretch. While she wasn't as torn up as the previous morning, she still regretted what she'd told her new friend. Had she been too presumptuous? Myrrh had always seemed smart for her age, but had she gone too far with her advice? She wanted to see the little girl as soon as possible but at the same time didn't want to pressure her into giving an answer right away.

So she chose to wait.

Four days passed without talking to her. Tiki saw Myrrh from time to time, but she was always talking with others - mostly Prince Ephraim - or otherwise seemed too occupied for her to intrude. This morning however, Tiki resolved to at least ask Myrrh how she was doing, even if she wasn't ready for a full conversation yet.

* * *

Tiki again consulted the Prince of Renais to find her quarry, though this time he directed her further inside the keep. She found Myrrh tucked away in a corner of the library, her head buried in a book of Askrian nursery rhymes. She took a seat nearby and waited for her to finish.

It only took a few minutes for the little girl to close the book, look fondly at the cover and stand up. The two made eye contact when Myrrh started to walk, causing her to blush and hide the book behind her back.

"O - oh!"

"Good morning, Myrrh."

"Y - yes, good morning."

Tiki smiled. "Is that a good book?"

"N - no, I just found it on the floor. It's only for children so...so I'd never read it."

"Is that so?" Tiki fought the urge to laugh. "That's a shame. I quite like rhymes."

"...really?"

"Yes! And I especially love reading stories from other cultures. It's quite enlightening to see what values they espouse and how they compare to your own country's teachings, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes!" Myrrh nodded, beaming. "This book is full of stories like the ones back home and it's really interesting how they teach the same morals despite having its characters being in completely different circumstances!" She paused. "...I mean, I only skimmed through it because I was curious so I'm not sure if they're all like that, just in the ones I read."

"Of course, of course." Tiki nodded back and held out her hand. "Shall I put it back for you?"

"That's alright, I can do it."

"Okay, then."

* * *

Myrrh didn't seem to realise how suspicious it was that she knew the exact bookcase the rhymes belonged to if she never read children's books. Instead she was quite happy to slot it back into place in Tiki's presence, fluttering her wings to reach the shelf that was otherwise just out of reach. She landed with the faintest _pat_ on the carpet and looked at the older woman with a smile, brushing some dust off her skirt.

"Good morning again, Ms. Tiki. Did you want to ask me something?"

"Oh...right, of course." Seeing Myrrh enjoying herself had wiped her original intention from her mind but she was surprised Myrrh had forgotten too. Unless...

_...oh._

She scanned the child's face again and saw that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

_Oh, you poor thing._

"Oh, it's nothing really. I...I just wanted to know how you were feeling after we last spoke, but I understand if you're still not ready to talk. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like this." She inclined her head slightly and turned away.

"Wait!"

It was Myrrh's time to grab her wrist.

"Ah!" She whirled back around. "Yes?"

"I...I'm ready to talk, actually."

"...you are?"

"Yes," Myrrh looked down and let go of Tiki with a small blush. "But is it okay if we sit down first? Also, I'm very sorry for grabbing you like that."

* * *

They returned to their seats, Tiki choosing one next to Myrrh's this time and reassuring her that with so few in the library this early in the day, they wouldn't get in trouble for talking.

"Oh...if you say so..." Myrrh trailed off and kicked her little legs in the air for a while. Tiki gave her all the time she needed, content to study the child's profile as she concentrated. Finally the girl nodded to herself.

"Are you ready?" asked Tiki.

"Yes. I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's fine. I told you, didn't I? I was in the same position as you many years ago."

"Mm," Myrrh nodded. "I wanted to find you two days ago actually, but...it was hard."

"Hard to find me?"

"No..." she shook her head this time. "It was hard to...to know what to say," Myrrh's cheeks turned red.

"That's alright," Tiki rubbed the top of the child's head. "It was unfair of me to put such heavy thoughts into a young mind like yours."

"No, I knew _what_ I wanted to say!" Myrrh squeaked, surprising the older dragon. "I just...didn't know how to put it into words. I'm not a child..." she pouted.

Tiki barely stifled a smile. "Of course not! I misspoke. Do you know what words to use now?"

"Yes." Myrrh nodded again and took a quick breath. "I wanted to thank you, Ms. Tiki. And...I think you're right."

"Oh?"

"It...hurts. It's scary to think that I'll wake up one day and Prince Ephraim won't be there anymore, but...you're right. It's something..." she swallowed. "It's something I have to accept as a Manakete and - and you showed me there are ways I can make it all worth it. I wanted to tell you that - that when that day comes..." she stopped for a moment. When she continued her voice was quieter than it already had been. "I'll do my best to carry on his will and story to as many people as I can. And not just his either! Father, Princess Eirika, Master Saleh and Ewan, Dara and Dozla...I'll live on for everyone who was ever kind to me and make them proud, just as you do." She gave Tiki a small smile. "I hope I make you proud too!"

The older figure felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked as much of them away as she could. "Of...of _course_ you do! You make me incredibly proud, Myrrh!" _To think she's so resolved at such a young age..._ Even Tiki herself had needed a few hundred years more to fully understand such sentiments. She pulled the child into a tight hug and placed a long kiss on her forehead. Myrrh squirmed for a while before relenting, a blush and pout back on her face when Tiki finally let her go.

"I'm proud of you, Myrrh." She said again.

The pout slipped from her face to be replaced with a shy smile. "...thank you. And thank you for talking with me."

"I learned something from you too, you know."

"Really?" Myrrh cocked her head. "What?"

"You taught me just how valuable our memories are..." Tiki looked out the far window at the early morning sun. It seemed this day would be a beautiful one. "And just how much I appreciate them." She looked back at her young companion. "So thank you, Myrrh." Myrrh blushed and looked away until she spoke again. "I have another question for you though."

"Yes?"

"You spend a lot of time with Prince Ephraim, don't you?" She winked. "Just what _is_ the story there?"

Myrrh spluttered. "N - n - nothing!" She covered her mouth after her outburst and looked around. With no one coming to reprimand her she continued in a high-pitched (but quieter) wail. "_Ms. Tiki..!_"


End file.
